Can the power of music make the brain come alive? Dr. Oliver Sacks, author of Musicophilia: tales of music and the brain, is involved with this study as Nova follows four individuals: Matt Giordano (United States), Derek Paravicini (England), Anne Barker (Ireland), and Tony Cicoria (United States) to investigate music's strange, surprising, and still unexplained power over the human mind. While these extraordinary stories offer examples of music's...

Thanks in part to the documents released by Edward Snowden, the true scale of the National Security Agency's scope and power is coming to light. Besides spending billions to ingest and analyze the worlds' electronic communications, the NSA has set out to dominate a new battlefield, cyberspace. Nova examines the science and technology behind cyber warfare and asks if we are already in the midst of a deadly new arms race.

Using instructions from an intriguing, 3,700 year-old inscription, a team of historians and expert boat builders investigates a fascinating flood legend and sets out to rebuild a tantalizing, ancient forerunner of the Ark.

Nepal, the birthplace of Buddha, is draped along the Himalayan Range between India and Tibet. It continues to attract travelers to this unique and beautiful Shangrila. Ian Wright's journey takes him from the traveler's mecca of Kathmandu, to the western reaches of the country and then on a popular trek through the mountainous regions. He ends his trip in Pulma, the most remote region of Nepal.

Explores the impact that multi-tasking has on our safety, our memory, our education, our careers, and our personal lives.

Killing one third of Europe's population in just three years and ravaging the flourishing cities of Italy, France, Germany, England, and Spain, the Black Death swept across the continent at an inconceivable rate. Through chilling reenactments, interviews with experts and historians, and excerpts from original accounts, discover the origins, progress, and cultural repercussions of the Plague's reign of terror. Many thought it was punishment by God,...

Video tour of central Japan. See Buddhist temples, world heritage sites, the Gion district of Kyoto, Osaka, Iga-Ueno, the Japanese Alps, Sado Island, Himeji, and more.

"It's a Commonwealth and part of the United States. Some would like Puerto Rico to become the 51st state, while others want it to declare its independence. Residents seem to prefer things just as they are and Americans will enjoy visiting the island, not just for its beauty but because you don't need a passport to enter and exit and there's no limit on the amount of products people can buy and bring home. We'll take you from the east of Puerto Rico...

Ukraine is an off-beat destination for most travelers, including Holly Morris, she dives right into her Globe Trekker journey to discover plenty of unexpected charms, cultural curiosities, and historical perspectives that range from fun to deeply haunting. Her itinerary cuts a wide circular swath through the country. She begins in Lviv, home to a uniquely condensed collection of stunning Renaissance and Baroque architecture and modern extreme-themed...

Examines the physiological mechanisms underlying memory, the study of which has enabled scientists to explain and even control memory. Looks at the malleability of memory and the possible realities of implanting and erasing individual memories.